100 Themes of Red and Blue
by Aki Kaminari
Summary: Written for the 100 theme challenge, chapters will focus around Daisuke, Satoshi, or both. Various genres and ratings will be explored.
1. Introduction

**Author's Note: **I've been working on this challenge off and on for some time, but something made me want to post the first chapter, finally. Unfortunately, since yours truly is disorganized, there will be varying gaps of time to wait between chapters due to the fact that I skip around a lot. But anyway, on to the reason why I started this in the first place. I've always obsessed over the DNAngel series, both the original work and the wonderful gems hidden in its fandom. So now, I want to give back and give everyone else something to obsess over. Sure, I've done fanarts and little 1~2 chapter things, but never anything of this scale. These stories will be independent of each other for the most part, though some will have sequels in later chapters. Feel free to report any formatting/gramatical errors if you find any. A link to the full list of themes will be in my profile.

As stated in the summary, the chapters will focus around Satoshi and/or Daisuke. Given that this is my OTP, a large number of the chapters will at least hint at one having romantic feelings for the other, but this by no means does this always have to be interpreted as such and not all chapters will be this way. So, don't let it scare you off. If you see a chapter you're not comfortable with, just skip to the next one.

Also, keep in mind that the majority of these will occur manga-verse. A few will occur in the anime-verse and possibly one or two AU, but for the most part it's best to have a good knowledge of the manga.

* * *

_1. Introduction_

First impressions mean a lot to people, despite the fact that they are not always accurate. When Satoshi began to attend Azumano Middle School due to the fact that the Niwa of his generation, Niwa Daisuke, went there, he expected something vastly different than what he saw. This boy was to be Dark's host soon, so he expected Niwa to be over-analytical and careful, similar to himself. This would explain why Satoshi had been so unprepared for their first meeting. After all, the only thing he had to go by was a name. Not a person.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Satoshi had been walking through the hallways of the school after class had ended, carefully memorizing where everything was. He had briefly attended this school for less than a year before he had moved on to high school for the first time, but due to him skipping so many grades, he hadn't been able to be a part of the usual routine that the other students there abided by. The thought of finally getting to know what a regular school life was like had made Satoshi's head spin for a while, though that was more out of wonder than out of stress. Still, he suspected that this precious little free time that he would have after school was one of the things he would enjoy the most. It was quiet; something he was used to.

However, for every moment of silence, something had to break that silence. This particular noise came in the form of a shout from around the corner.

"Saehara, I said I don't want to! Put the camera away!"

Satoshi barely had time to look up before a boy around his own age with bright red hair hastily turned in to the hallway he was walking down. The distracted redhead was looking over his shoulder, as if being chased, and was running at full speed straight at Satoshi. Seconds before they were about to collide, the redhead turned his gaze forward. Eyes going wider than they already were, the boy panicked, and skidded to a stop right in front of Satoshi, so close that their shoes were only about an inch from each other. Unfortunately, this caused the shorter boy to lose his balance. Arms flailing uselessly, he toppled backwards. Reacting quickly, Satoshi grabbed the front of his uniform and yanked the shorter male towards him.

The redhead grunted in surprise when he collided harmlessly with Satoshi's chest. Eyes that were the same shade of scarlet as his hair stared up at Satoshi, a curious expression formed within their depths. Satoshi stared back from beneath thin glass frames, and something seemed to resonate between them.

Although the clumsiness of the person in front of him made Satoshi want to laugh—something he rarely did—the possibility was pushed out by the instincts in his mind screaming at him. This was the one, it was _him_. The Niwa, the one he was destined to meet, to capture, to destroy. Satoshi could practically hear his own heartbeat growing louder with each passing second, until the pounding was deafening against his ears.

It had been ages since he felt so _alive_. If he had less control, he would have been smirking by now.

"Aha, caught you!" exclaimed a boy with spiky black hair. Satoshi recognized him as "the loud person" who was in the same class as him. The grin on his face morphed into a perplexed stare. "Eh, Daisuke? What are you doing with the new transfer student?"

Realizing what it looked like, Satoshi let his hands slip from steadying Niwa's shoulders. Pushing up his glasses with his index finger, Satoshi said simply, "He fell."

The expression on the black-haired boy's face changed back into a mischievous one. "_Sure_ he did," he teased, readying his camera.

In a panic, Niwa shuffled behind Satoshi, who had to keep from tensing when he felt hands against his back. He didn't like physical contact much to begin with, let alone from someone who was his family's enemy.

"I said "no pictures", Saehara!" the shorter boy pleaded, peeking out from behind Satoshi, only to duck around the other side when the reporter stepped closer to them. His attempts to go around Satoshi, however, were blocked when an arm was outstretched in front of his path.

"What's your problem?" Saehara asked, miffed that someone was ruining his fun.

Satoshi stared down at him coldly. Though it was interesting to watch his adversary get flustered, something had touched a nerve. "It's rude," Satoshi began, his voice flat to the point of almost being a monotone, "to force people to do things after they've refused." Inwardly, he was amused at how the other was trying to hide the fact that he appeared intimidated. He wasn't doing a very good job.

Saehara laughed nervously. "O-okay. I get it." He turned around and proceeded to walk the other way. "See you tomorrow, Daisuke!"

"Ah, yeah," Niwa responded awkwardly, waving back to the reporter. A moment passed before he bothered to step away from Satoshi. "Thank you. Saehara's a good guy, but he can get crazy sometimes."

Satoshi glanced off to the side, not wanting to look at the genuinely grateful expression. "It's nothing."

If Satoshi had been looking, he would have seen the redhead's smile turn a little guilty. "But still, it's your first day here. I didn't mean to make it hard on you…" he trailed off, before coming to a realization. "Oh! I haven't even told you my name yet. Sorry."

Satoshi bit back the urge to comment that he already knew.

A hand was extended to the spectacled boy. "I'm Niwa Daisuke. Nice to meet you. We're in the same class, so just ask if you need any help." Satoshi stared at the hand. A few seconds passed uneasily.

"I suppose you already know then, but I'm Hiwatari Satoshi," he responded, not taking the hand and opting for a polite bow instead. Niwa, unsure of what to do with his hand, opted to scratch the back of his head awkwardly.

The somewhat uncomfortable silence was interrupted by a quiet, yet slightly irritating beeping noise. Caught off-guard, the redhead jumped. "Ah! I forgot, I should have left by now!" he exclaimed, panic setting in. "My mom's going to freak if I'm home late! Sorry, Hiwatari-kun, I'll see you tomorrow." With a neutral expression, Satoshi watched him dash away. Once he was out of sight, however, his brows furrowed.

That boy seemed like someone who was hard to miss. Now that he thought about it, he _did_ remember seeing him in class earlier that day. And yet…

…Why hadn't he noticed until now? It was true that he didn't really pay attention to people his own age, but after the strange resonance that he had felt a few minutes ago, how could he have not noticed that the Niwa of this generation was in the same room as him? Clearly, Satoshi figured, this boy was not to be underestimated. He would pay close attention to him from now on.

The next day, Satoshi came to school with a small notebook and pen in the shirt pocket of his school uniform.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Chapter 1, end! The characterization in this chapter is very different from what I usually write, since I wanted to explore what Satoshi's frame of mind would be like prior to Dark's awakening, and therefore prior to getting closer to Daisuke. I imagined that things would be awkward for both of them (not necessarily for the same reasons), since in the first chapter of the manga Satoshi seemed to give off such a distant vibe around Daisuke. However, since this was their very first meeting, I had Satoshi do some things that he wouldn't have normally done had he been in full control of the situation. Also, I just had to include the little bit about Saehara being a little scared of Satoshi. There was one scene in particular in the manga that inspired this, though I'm not sure at the moment which volume it was in. (Though I do remember it was the one where the class was on vacation, and Dark was sealed in a mirror.)


	2. Love

_2. Love_

Love was something Satoshi didn't believe in. Well, that wasn't quite true; he could see love between others, just not for himself. It wasn't that he didn't think he was able to love someone. The Hikari weren't heartless—Krad's ability to appear proved that. In fact, Krad was the entire reason behind Satoshi's desire to never love someone. Krad had awakened in Satoshi's mind on his fourteenth birthday, but was unable to take control. Until someone became close to his heart, the curse was little more than a presence at the back of Satoshi's mind, barely even able to speak with him. He preferred to keep it that way.

The result of this was that Satoshi sealed off his heart. He wouldn't let anyone close; he wouldn't cherish anything. It was easy enough, considering that most of his time was consumed by faking the life of a normal middle school student and planning to capture Dark. As long as he was like this, everything would be perfect. He would never have to deal with the curse that had taken the lives of so many Hikari family members, including his own mother. That curse was love.

On the opposite end of the spectrum (both figurative and literal) was Daisuke. Love came easily for him, whether it was the unconditional love for a family member or the romantic love for a significant other. He never resisted it; never questioned it. For him, love was not a curse, but a blessing. It was no wonder that Dark could manifest so easily. In addition to caring for others, Daisuke was in turn a person who was easy to get along with. Satoshi was wary of him at first, but he soon stopped noticing that they were becoming closer practically by the day.

By the time Satoshi realized that he had fallen for Niwa, it was already far too late.


	3. Light

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter. Some are going to be like that. This chapter and the next are of the few that will take place in the anime-verse. In fact, this chapter and the next one are basically warped interpretations of the same core concept. Or, are they really the same? You decide for yourself when the next one is posted. I, personally, have no answer to that.

* * *

_3. Light_

As much as he despised his real family name, Satoshi couldn't deny that it suited him. Hikari…the first Kanji meant "ice", which described his personality well. He was a cold person—the result of years of locking away everything he felt. The second meant "hunter". It was perfect for describing his fate—to be the one to pursue and capture Dark.

However, during a conversation with one of the Niwa family members (Niwa Kosuke if Satoshi's memory served him right) alluded to the word being synonymous with "light". This had caught Satoshi off-guard. It was true that both words were pronounced "hikari", but why would a member of the Niwa family, who obviously knew the correct meaning, refer to him as such? Perhaps Satoshi was merely over-thinking the whole thing, as it was a mistake he often tended to make.

When he really stopped to think about it, he preferred the original meaning of his family name. The concept of light, though at first appearing pure (as he had once compared Daisuke to it), reminded him too much of his curse. It was too bright; too blinding; too _white_. Just like Krad.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Eventually, Satoshi forgot about the confusion for the most part. It wasn't until much later, when Dark had accidentally switched back to Daisuke in the middle of a heist that the matter surfaced again. Instead of fleeing the scene right away (perhaps he knew he would have been able to escape in any case, even if he walked out…), Daisuke talked with Satoshi for a bit. The scene felt surreal, and Satoshi could recall little of what they had spoken of afterwards. There was only one thing that he could remember clearly. It had been cloudy the whole day, but for a few moments the sky had cleared up a bit, causing the moon to shine through. Daisuke, mesmerized by the wonderful view through the museum's large windows, commented on how beautiful the light was.

Although it was a different "hikari" that Niwa had referred to, Satoshi had to step into the shadows until the heat in his face disappeared.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Er... it was a bit difficult to properly convey the play on words in English (it's quite the odd feeling to be able to convey things better in a second language...). What inspired me to come up with this was a sudden impression of Daisuke exclaiming "Ah, suteki hikari da!" (What a stunning light!) But "stunning" sounds wierd for Daisuke to say in English, so I opted for "beautiful" instead. Since the next chapter is paired with this one, I'll upload it sooner than usual (maybe sometime tomorrow or the next day).


	4. Dark

**Author's Note:** Here's the second "half" of the previous chapter. Both of these chapters, both together and as a whole, strike me as being _wierd_. Not necessarily in a bad way though.

* * *

_4. Dark_

If someone were to ask Satoshi whether he preferred day or night, he wouldn't even have to think about his answer. He was content with being surrounded by darkness, almost to the point of being comforted by it. It was ironic, really, that someone with a name such as "Hikari" would prefer the dark. Even though his family name technically _didn't_ mean "light", it may as well have. Satoshi's world was forced to be bathed in light, the bright colors of white and gold blinding him. He hated the light. It was too harsh; too exposing. White was easier to taint, after all. Under the cover of darkness, at least, Satoshi's faults would at least be toned down, if not obscured completely. Who knows, the dark may even hide the stains on Satoshi's soul from Niwa.

In the end, although his impurities may have been masked from Niwa initially, Satoshi could not conceal anything from the very darkness that he sought for comfort. It saw everything. Every stain, every fault, and every weakness. Satoshi refused to acknowledge this, however. After all, the cover seemed to work. Niwa, although surrounded by darkness, instead looked into the light and therefore was perceived as blind in both extremes. Blind in pure light because he existed in darkness and blind in pure darkness by gazing into the light for too long. (Or was it that he chose to be blind? Only Niwa can answer that.) However, there was one thing that Satoshi hadn't foreseen. The darkness was on Niwa's side.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Satoshi tensed, trying to sink deeper into the shadow he was in. A shiver ran up his spine, though this had nothing to do with the slightly chilly weather of the night. "Niwa, don't…," he choked out, voice uncharacteristically hesitant and weak and _afraid_.

Daisuke stepped into the same shadow. "Hiwatari-kun," he began, his voice soft to attempt to ease Satoshi's anxieties, "I want to see." Daisuke slowly brought his hands up to rest on Satoshi's shoulders. "I want to understand."

Daisuke pushed Satoshi into the moonlight.


	5. Seeking Solace

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait. This was one of the chapters that I had neglected to even start, and it took me a while to get an idea for it. It's longer than usual though, so I hope it's worth it.

* * *

_5. Seeking Solace_

Daisuke leaned back momentarily to stare at the ceiling, his shoulders pressed up against the wall not quite to the point of aching. "You know, Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke started, voice distant. Satoshi looked up from the book he was reading in acknowledgement. The redhead sighed and drew his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them. "Sometimes I get sick of all this."

Satoshi was definitely staring now. "What?" he inquired, summing up his desire for both an explanation of what Niwa meant as well as what was obviously nagging at the troubled thief's mind.

"_This_," Daisuke repeated, gesturing with his hand in an outwards arc as if that would reveal all. "Everything. The traps, the warning letters, the cursed artwork…," he listed, then shifted against the wall as if uncomfortable. "Sometimes I think things like "What I wouldn't give for a normal life", or something like that."

The perplexed expression that Satoshi had been wearing softened into one of comprehension. "I see," was all he said, though those two simple words conveyed much more than that. The conversation faltered for a bit, the only sound being the rain hitting against the classroom window. It just so happened that they had been assigned to clean one of the classrooms on this day, and halfway through finishing, it had started pouring outside. Neither seemed too eager to get soaked any time soon. It would have been fine if it was warmer, but the chilly autumn rain was a far cry from inviting.

"I'm sorry, Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke said softly. At the other's surprised expression, he elaborated, looking back down at the floor as if guilty. "I don't really have much to complain about, compared to you. Actually, compared to you, it seems selfish to complain." Daisuke was unsure of what to make of the silence that followed at first, but was distracted when he heard shuffling next to him. He glanced up, surprised, as Hiwatari-kun leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor next to him, book long forgotten on the now-empty desk. The commander wasn't looking at him, but straight ahead, eyes lost in thought.

"It's true that I also want a normal life. It's also true that I…," the spectacled teen paused, and with some difficulty, said, "…I envy you." Satoshi brought a hand up to his chest, fingers lightly clenching in the material of his shirt. If Satoshi had been looking, he would have seen something flicker across the other's expression for a fraction of a moment. "However," Satoshi paused, and his hand released the fabric. It was unclear as to who had moved, but when Satoshi spoke again their shoulders were touching, causing warmth to spread outwards from the contact. "I've told you before that I don't hate you. I can't, actually."

"Why?" Daisuke asked impulsively, and almost gasped when his friend looked over at him for the first time. Hiwatari-kun's gaze was cool yet intense, all directed at _him_. It wasn't exactly intimidating, but rather…captivating.

"'Why?' Because…," the commander shifted closer. The heat shared between them grew, and it seemed to leave Niwa in a daze of sorts. Satoshi smirked suddenly. "Because hating you would be too easy."

"Huh?!" Daisuke exclaimed in shock, caught off-guard. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" he asked in mock anger, lightly punching Hiwatari-kun's shoulder. Both of them were resisting the urge to fully smile. "Yeah, well you're easy to hate too, you know. Always interrogating me and cornering me into walls and stuff…"

The corners of Satoshi's mouth twitched. "Oh? Like this?" he questioned innocently before leaning his full weight on Niwa, forcing both of them to the floor.

From the way Dark started yelling in the depths of Daisuke's mind at this action, Daisuke had to wonder if Hiwatari-kun was faring any better. There was always a shadow in Hiwatari-kun's eyes (except for the periods of time immediately after Dark and Krad fought, but during those times they were both too tired to cherish it), but other than that his friend seemed to be at ease. Daisuke had to laugh. "He doesn't like that too much."

That got Satoshi to smile. "I'd imagine not."

"He said to tell you to respect personal space," Daisuke informed in a mock-serious tone.

In the same tone, Satoshi responded, "Tell him I said he can shove it." At this, they both began to laugh, Satoshi from the way Daisuke's eyes went wide for a split second and Daisuke in reaction to what was said.

"I never expected to hear something like that from you," Daisuke managed to say once he had managed to stop laughing. He closed his eyes, and his chest rose and fell rapidly as he caught his breath. When he recovered, Satoshi was looking down at him curiously, and it was only then that Daisuke's face began to color as his brain registered the awkward position they were in.

Satoshi, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by it. "What I said earlier, about hating you being too easy…," he said, pausing to shift some of his weight off of Niwa and straighten his glasses. The light glinted off them, obscuring his eyes. "The truth is, if I was still fooling myself, that's the excuse I would have used."

Blush fading in favor of confusion, Daisuke asked, "Huh? "Fooling" yourself?"

Satoshi continued, "However, even if hating you _was_ easy," he tilted his head so that the light no longer hid his eyes, "liking you is easier."

Feeling strangely flattered, Daisuke grinned. "Thanks, Hiwatari-kun." The redhead propped himself up on his elbows and looked the other straight in they eyes. "Really. You cheered me up."

That odd look was back on Satoshi's face, before a small smile touched his lips. It all felt so natural, to the point that neither of them had really noticed how much closer they had gotten. Unconsciously, Daisuke leaned back slightly so that he could tilt his head at a more comfortable angle, and Satoshi put a hand on the other's shoulder simply for the sake of contact. Satoshi felt his eyes close, and his heartbeat sped up as the last thing he saw was Daisuke doing the same. Their lips met tentatively, awkwardly, for barely a second. Then they met again, and again, gaining confidence each time. This time it was Daisuke's hands that were clenched in the fabric of Satoshi's shirt, and Satoshi learned that they were a much better distraction from the sharp throbbing in his chest than his own hands were.

By the time they separated, both were fighting off the transformations that would surely ruin such a thing. One was trying to win against the pain, but both against the excitement. Still out of breath, Satoshi looked up with a hand pressed tightly against his heart, smiling in spite of it all. "You cheered me up too."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well~ This was one chapter that went way beyond my initial plan. Originally I hadn't intended for the things to happen from the point Satoshi said "I'd imagine not", but...it just kind of kept flowing into what it is now. XD So much for restraint. Tell me though, did that progress too much from one situation to the other? I know I definately pushed at Satoshi's character, though I hope not to the point of being OOC.


	6. Break Away

**Author's Note: **This chapter had me completely and utterly stumped as to what I should write for it. Then today, it just hit me out of nowhere. I've never written anything quite like this, so feel free to give any constructive criticism if you wish.

Also, **Kamikaze. My. Life**, thank you for both of your reviews. ^_^ I'm glad you thought Satoshi's characterization in the previous chapter wasn't too off, since I myself (as a reader) have a strong dislike for OOC-ness.

* * *

_6. Break Away_

Niwa Emiko was a strong-willed woman, firmly set in her beliefs and determined to do her part in raising her son to be an excellent member of the family.

Said family was currently on an outing in the local park. Her husband and her father were sipping tea together on a bench a few feet away, and her son was currently sitting on the ground hunched over what appeared to be a notebook. "Dai-chan, what are you doing?" she asked sweetly as she kneeled down and glanced over her son's shoulder.

A boy around the age of six with messy red hair looked up at her with a joyful, innocent expression. "I'm drawing!" he exclaimed as if it were the best thing in the world. "See? I already drew Tou-san, and Jii-chan, and With," he explained, pointing to the little doodles of each as he listed them off. "And I'll draw you too!"

"That's nice, Dai-chan," she commented off-handedly, smiling at her son's antics.

Daisuke laughed excitedly, and stood up, not even wincing at the band-aids that stretched against his knees. It was normal for boys of his age to get scraped up occasionally, though the circumstances that brought about such scrapes probably wouldn't be considered normal. "Yeah, I want to be an artist when I grow up!" The smile froze on Emiko's face and the expression in her eyes seemed to change. Daisuke didn't notice. "I want to draw as good as the drawings in the basement. You like those drawings, don't you, Kaa-san?"

"Ah, yes, that's right…," she responded. It was harder to keep the smile up. Daisuke grinned and went back to his drawing. "But, Dai-chan…"

"Emiko," her father interrupted. She looked over at the elderly man, concern evident in her expression. "Don't worry yourself over his interests."

"Otou-san," she pressed, uncertain.

Daiki paused and sipped his tea. "It's nothing to be concerned about." He then seemed to look somewhere beyond her, expression almost wistful. "Who knows, perhaps this will be the generation to break free from the burden of this tradition."

Emiko frowned for a moment, inwardly battling with conflicting thoughts regarding the issue.

Kosuke, on the other hand, was left to watch his son while the other two argued. Daisuke had wandered over to another child around his own age and was presenting his masterpiece.

"Isn't it fun?" Daisuke asked, cheerful as ever. He leaned closer to the other boy. "Do you want to draw with me?"

The boy backed up a bit, then looked to the side as if shy. "No thank you," he said softly with a politeness that was unusual for someone his age. "I don't really like drawing."

Daisuke looked as if his whole world had just been turned upside-down. "Eeh?!" he exclaimed in a loud voice that seemed to startle the other kid. "No way, that's crazy!"

Any further conversation between the two was interrupted by the honking of a car horn. It was a somewhat fancy car, driven by a professional-looking young man. He had a clean-cut appearance, dressed in a suit with short, neat brown hair and glasses. The shy boy glanced over at the car in acknowledgement, then quickly bowed to Daisuke before he turned and ran off in the direction of the vehicle. Daisuke made a noise of disappointment as he watched the vehicle drive away. Kosuke came up behind him and knelt down to put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Tou-san, are there really people who don't like art?" Daisuke asked innocently.

Kosuke gave his son a knowing smile. "There will always be people who don't like something. You have things you don't like too, right?" Daisuke nodded at this. "But that doesn't mean you should change your dreams, Daisuke. Be sure to hold onto them. As long as you look into the light, you'll be okay."

"Of course, silly!" Daisuke scolded. "You can't draw in the dark!"

Kosuke laughed and ruffled his son's hair. "Yes, you do have a point there."

At that moment, the world began to shift.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And there you have it, my first attempt at writing something family-oriented, let alone about little kids. Finally, something that focuses more on Daisuke for a change. *laughs* I always seem to have a harder time doing that. Guess what? In this chapter there is another instance of wordplay that would make more sense in Japanese. XD *fail* As long as you've read the earlier chapters you should be okay though. It isn't even that prominent here.


	7. Heaven

**Author's Note:** This story hints at spoilers from manga volumes 12 and 13. As far as I know, 12 has been released at least in the US, but 13 has not. They've been out in Japan for over a year now though, so if you've read them, then proceed. If you haven't, well...just skip this one, I guess.

* * *

_7. Heaven_

"Do you believe in heaven?"

"Eh?" Daisuke looked up from his sketchbook, dazed from concentrating on the drawing for so long. He lowered the pencil and brought his hand up to his chin, brows scrunched together in thought. "If I had to say…" he began, searching for the right words, "I don't think it's possible for anyone to know for sure what happens after someone dies." Daisuke then looked up at the ceiling, as if it would help him focus better. "But I can't believe that this life is all there is or will be." Daisuke paused and smiled awkwardly. "Well, at least I hope not. It would seem like a waste if it was. Why'd you ask, Hiwatari-kun?"

Satoshi's gaze was distant. "I suppose I'd like to go there when I die. It seems so peaceful compared to now."

"Hiwatari-kun…" Daisuke half-admonished, and immediately Satoshi realized his mistake. As expected, Daisuke's next words were "You shouldn't talk about your own death so early."

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Satoshi joked, "But who knows? I might decide to haunt you instead." At Niwa's hurt look, Satoshi knew he had just made the problem worse. The commander sighed as his luck, or lack thereof, before he was jolted out of his thoughts by warmth spreading through his body.

"Don't disappear," Daisuke whispered, hiding his face in the fabric of the other's shirt. "Hiwatari-kun, don't disappear."

"Niwa…," Satoshi trailed off, at a loss for words. He could feel Krad stir within him at the redhead's action, but for once he didn't care. Daisuke's close proximity had caught him completely off guard, never mind the fact that he wasn't used to being touched unless it was necessary. He was also horrible at comforting people, which led to him awkwardly resting his hands on Daisuke's waist, unsure of what else to do. Would soothing words help? Satoshi couldn't think of any.

Despite his grief, Daisuke seemed to sense Satoshi's plight. "Like this," he murmured. One of his arms wrapped around Satoshi's waist, eliminating several inches of space between them. The other hand slid up Satoshi's back, resting between his shoulder blades. By this point, Satoshi was convinced that nothing could possibly cause him to be more surprised than he already was. He _had_ regained enough control to respond though, and slowly, hesitantly, held Niwa close. He had never been so grateful that Niwa was the only regular member in the art club, because his face already felt hot enough with no one around. It was also nagging him that he shouldn't be anywhere near this close to Niwa, physically or otherwise. However, he found that despite the fact that he had adhered to that line of thinking most of his life, it grew less and less effective each time.

Daisuke wiped a few tears from his own face and laughed quietly in relief, glad to have something real and tangible and _alive_ to hold on to. It felt surprisingly good, really, holding Hiwatari-kun like this. He couldn't really think of a reason why it _wouldn't _have, but he guessed the fact that Dark was currently pissed at the commander had something to do with it. Hiwatari-kun didn't seem to be in pain as when Krad was about to come out though, so by Daisuke's logic that was good a reason as any to prolong the contact. In a moment of defiance, he dared the world to give him a reason he shouldn't.

The door opened without warning. "Niwa-kun, practice ran late, so—" Riku froze, her mouth agape in disbelief. The occupants of the room stared back, equally startled and frozen. Daisuke opened his mouth to speak. But, as fate would have it…

"Niwa-kun, you _cheater_!" With that, the elder Harada was gone.

"Riku-san!" Daisuke called after her with one arm outstretched towards the door. The effort was in vain. Daisuke half-sighed, half-groaned and slumped against Hiwatari-kun.

"You're not going to follow her?" Satoshi questioned. The spectacled teen had loosened his grip somewhat, but Daisuke pulled him back.

"I need more comfort. And I want to die now."

Satoshi silently obliged, and considered the possibility that maybe he didn't need heaven just yet.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I've always kind of thought that while Satoshi is extremely intelligent as far as academics and the like go, he has little experience with some of the more practical aspects of human interaction. I just love writing how awkward such interactions can be for him and even those he interacts with. With Satoshi, it seems like almost always either he initiates an interaction and startles the other person, or the other person initiates the interaction and he is left both startled and clueless for what to do. XD


	8. Innocence

**Author's Note:** I don't really have anything to say/warn about this chapter. The next one may take a while to get posted since I'm drawing a blank for ideas at the moment.

* * *

8. Innocence

Since he had gotten to know him, Satoshi had always seen Niwa as being someone who was so innocent. Of course, he didn't mean this in the sense that most would assume. Satoshi was very aware of reality, and reality was that not only was Niwa a teenage boy (like himself), he also shared an existence with Dark. Dark was more or less, to quote the older of the Harada twins, a "pervert". Although Niwa was probably a far cry from being labeled as such, he wasn't completely innocent in the traditional sense of the word. One could argue that Niwa's tendency to blush and occasionally stumble for words was a sign of innocence. However, wasn't that more of a sign of the lack of it? Satoshi was sure that if he decided to randomly back Niwa up against a wall and press their bodies together, Niwa would blush. Perhaps this would be partially out of embarrassment, but it would also be due to comprehension of the situation rather than the lack thereof.

Niwa's innocence was the ability to not have recurring nightmares that would probably fit right in with a horror movie. It was the ability to not have to walk around with barriers around his heart, haunted by the fear that his alter ego would do unspeakable things to those he cared about. It was the ability to have a positive outlook on life, and face every day with a smile. Most of all, it was the ability to see the good in people, so that even someone like Satoshi, who was definitely _not _innocent, could value the person he was.

"…-kun? Hiwatari-kun?"

Satoshi blinked in surprise, unused to being caught so lost in his thoughts. "What?"

The redhead laughed, a smile of relief appearing on his face. "Where'd you go?" he joked. "It's rare to see you that out of it. Did you space out?"

"No," Satoshi answered simply. His own mouth curved up into a shadow of a smile. "Just thinking about you," he said honestly.

"Eh? Ah…," was Daisuke's best reply, eyes wide and pink dusting his cheeks. Satoshi tried. Really, he did, but for whatever reason, Niwa had given him the urge to laugh for the first time in ages. Given that it was so uncommon, why not indulge? Satoshi had to press a hand against his mouth to suppress the quiet laughter that had surfaced seemingly out of nowhere. Hearing something as rare as laughter coming from Satoshi seemed to make the pink spread further.

Once the laughter subsided, Satoshi wanted to see if he could prod further. He pushed up his glasses and said, "Just kidding. What's wrong?" He could just imagine Dark glaring at him from the back of Niwa's mind at such a question.

Daisuke made an incomprehensible noise and dropped his gaze to the floor. "I…," he trailed off quietly, as if unsure of whether or not he should continue. In a moment of guilt, Satoshi briefly thought that it was slightly unfair to pressure Niwa like this. But then, Niwa was talking again, and the guilt washed away. "I like it when you laugh, Hiwatari-kun."

Satoshi's brain seemed to switch off for a second before he regained composure. Well, _that _had been unexpected.

Worried that he said something wrong, Daisuke quickly added, "I mean, it's nice to see you being happy and less…distant, I suppose."

For a moment, Satoshi's stare appeared analytical. Gradually, the expression softened until the corners of him mouth turned upwards in what passed for amusement. "Maybe I'll start to laugh more often then, Niwa, as long as you keep being innocent."

Daisuke blinked at the slight inflection on the last word, unsure of what to make of it. After a bit of pondering, all he could manage to say was "Huh?"

The redhead barely managed to catch a glimpse of a smirk before Satoshi turned around to gather up his belongings. "It's nothing," he dismissed, and proceeded to make his way out the classroom door. "See you tomorrow."

"Ah, yeah," Daisuke responded, still feeling a bit puzzled.

If only he knew.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I have a little blooper for this chapter. When I was transferring this from my notebook to the computer, instead of typing "I like it when you laugh, Hiwatari-kun", I accidentally typed "I like the way you laugh, Hiwatari-kun". This sounded hilarious to me for some reason, and I had to resist the urge to crack up. Maybe because it makes Daisuke sound like a creeper. XD


	9. Drive

**Author's Note****: **I was unsure at first in what sense to use the word "drive", but I decided to go with this one. And look, Dark actually makes an appearance in this chapter! I hadn't meant to leave him out for so long, but it just kind of turned out that way. Enjoy~

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* * *

_

_9. Drive_

Today, Daisuke's class was on its way to Kyoto, which was this year's choice for the annual summer trip. The students were all crammed into a bus. Some were making casual conversation, some were enjoying the scenery speeding by, and still others decided to catch up on sleep. Daisuke would have preferred to go with the third choice, given that he was a bit bored. He usually didn't have problems sleeping in moving vehicles, yet for some reason he just couldn't this time.

_What, afraid the commander is going to do something weird to you in your sleep?_ Dark taunted.

Daisuke's eyes widened in shock. _Dark! I trust Hiwatari-kun, _he retorted. _And what do you mean by "weird"?_

_Oh, the usual, _the thief replied casually. _Take notes about you in that little book of his, try to sneak handcuffs on you, kiss you…_

_Kiss!? _Daisuke exclaimed in horror.

Dark blinked. _I would have though that would be the thing that you'd be __**least**__ concerned about._

Ignoring the remark, Daisuke attempted to quell the heat that had risen to his face. Unconsciously, he spared a glance in Satoshi's direction.

And stared.

_He's asleep!_ Dark exclaimed with a sinister glee. _Let's draw on his face! Do you have a marker?_

Daisuke rolled his eyes at that and continued to focus on his friend. He was slumped to one side, and his shoulder and the side of his face were pressed against the window. His glasses were slightly askew on his face. _That doesn't look very comfortable._

_Pssh, are you kidding me? That guy's so out of it that he could be sleeping on nails and wouldn't feel it, _Dark commented dryly. There was a pause that was akin to the calm before the storm. _So, about that marker…_

Daisuke sighed in exasperation and tuned Dark out, opting instead to stare at the back of the seat in front of him.

The bus made a turn, and Daisuke thought nothing of it until he felt a weight collide with his shoulder. He let out a small "eep" and couldn't suppress the little electric tingles that ran up his spine as he realized what had happened. _Dark, now what am I supposed to do?_ Daisuke complained in a mild panic.

_Draw on his face? _the thief suggested hopefully. At his partner's silence, he commented offhandedly, _What did you expect me to say? 'Kiss him'?_

Daisuke was seriously resisting the urge to knock himself out on the seat in front of him. After a moment of brooding, Daisuke felt the bus make another turn and Satoshi flopped back against the window with a dull thud. The redhead couldn't help but stare in awe. _He really __**is**__ out of it._

_Now can we—_

_NO! _Daisuke interrupted, refusing to let Dark finish that thought. The two argued for a bit. The bus turned again and Daisuke groaned. This was going to be a long trip.

_On second thought, don't kiss him, _Dark commented after a moment. Daisuke flushed from both embarrassment and frustration. The thief paid this no mind though. _If you did, then that would mean I would be indirectly kissing Krad and—_he paused to shudder in utter disgust_—let's change topics, shall we?_

For a split second, Daisuke sourly considered going along with the previous suggestion just to get back at Dark, but immediately decided against it, shocked at having considered such a thing. _Would you just go to sleep or something? _Daisuke groaned, defeated.

_Aww, but then who would entertain you?_

Before Daisuke could come up with a passable retort, he felt the weight on his shoulder shift slightly.

Satoshi blinked his eyes open, slightly delirious from low blood pressure. It wasn't as bad when he hadn't been asleep long, but it was still a hassle. He had a bit of a headache, almost as if he had been rammed into a window. When he regained some awareness, he only _slightly_ flushed upon realizing his position. After all, it was one of the outcomes that he had predicted for allowing himself to be lulled to sleep.

"Sorry," the commander half-slurred, still not fully awake. "Being in moving vehicles makes me sleepy."

Daisuke laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry about it."

"So, did I miss anything interesting?" the pale teen wondered aloud as he adjusted his glasses so that they weren't at an uncomfortable angle.

"You don't want to know," Daisuke answered immediately, hanging his head.

"Niwa?" Satoshi inquired cautiously. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Daisuke wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. "Don't worry, it's not your fault."

"Perhaps you should try to get some sleep," Satoshi suggested after a moment's hesitation. He leaned back against the window, and suddenly winced slightly. If it had been anyone else but Daisuke, they wouldn't have known why. "Here," he offered, gesturing to the shoulder that was facing Niwa. The offer was genuine, though his expression was uneasy.

Daisuke glanced from Satoshi's shoulder to the strained look in the other's eyes. Images of notepads and handcuffs among other more serious things flashed briefly in his mind before he shook his head and banished the thoughts. "I…is it okay?" he asked slowly.

"It's not a good idea," Satoshi answered honestly. "But with this many people around, I don't think he would chance it." Another wince marred Satoshi's features for a moment. With a sigh, he said, "I'll stay awake if I have to, Niwa."

"Why are you so insistent on this?" Daisuke inquired.

Satoshi shrugged. "For one, it's a long drive from Azumano to Kyoto. Secondly, if you were to sleep upright and accidentally lean the other way it would be quite painful." _And third, _Satoshi added mentally_, I owe you this._

Daisuke spared a look at the distance between the seat and the floor of the isle and decided that Hiwatari-kun had a point.

Interpreting the pause as a negative one, Satoshi attempted to dismiss the subject. "Nevermind. It's—," the commander's statement was interrupted when Daisuke leaned against him suddenly.

The two stayed like that for a while, Daisuke attempting to relax enough to be able to fall asleep and Satoshi attempting to quell his pounding heart among other things. Nope, this definitely hadn't been a good idea.

In spite of this, by the time the bus reached its destination, it took quite a bit of shaking and a shout from Saehara to awaken them.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** It figures that the first time Dark is featured in one of these I'd have him pestering Daisuke. ^^; I _can_ write a more serious Dark, but...well, he's just more fun to write like this.


	10. Breathe Again

**Author's Note: **This is the longest chapter yet! o_o; It's creepy where bursts of inspiration late at night can lead a person.

Anyway, warnings for this chapter: Language, a bit of violence, and some blood as a result of said violence. References to the later manga volumes, so if you haven't read those yet, don't read this. Also, the plot is arguably a bit cliche, though there are several themes that this could work for and I just _had_ to use it for one of them. Enjoy.

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* * *

_

_10. Breathe Again_

The first time Satoshi attempted to administer CPR on Daisuke, it turned out to be Dark's familiar, shape-shifted into Daisuke's form. He had to admit that he had been a bit grateful for the interruption from Harada Riku, as he would rather have not had such awkward contact with the rabbit-like creature, regardless of who or what it looked like.

The second time had been a result of Daisuke attempting to save Satoshi instead of the other way around, though Dark had awoken and knocked him out of the way before the technique could be administered. Ungrateful thief. At least Daisuke had been okay for the most part.

Tonight, due to the spontaneous and oblivious actions of Harada Risa, the girl had triggered a trap in the ancient ruins where Dark's latest target was. Harada had ended up unharmed, still on the surface, but Satoshi and Dark had fallen through a trap door into a winding chute that plummeted into one of the many tunnels beneath the ruins. After what seemed like an eternity of falling, the two were flung from the chute and onto the cold stone floor.

Satoshi groaned and took a few moments to shake off the impact as he attempted to ignore the aches that would definitely show as bruises tomorrow. His glasses were bent beyond repair, and with a flick of the wrist he discarded them, paying little mind to the sound the lenses made when they shattered against the floor. Miraculously, none of his bones felt broken.

He took a moment to absorb his surroundings. The floor was paved with cracked cobblestone that probably hadn't been walked on in at least a century. It, like the walls, appeared to be a dull grayish-brown color. The sound of slowly dripping water echoed through the area, and in the fragments of moonlight that filtered in from high above, Satoshi determined that the drops were falling into a pool of water a few feet away. This alone was not what caught the commander's attention though. It seemed that Dark had gotten more acceleration than him during the fall, and Daisuke's form was lying still face-down in the water. Satoshi felt as if his stomach was tied in knots. It was not a good sign that Dark had reverted back. That meant it was likely that he was unconscious. To make matters worse, someone decided to take advantage of the situation.

"Damn it…," Satoshi cursed as he placed a hand over his chest in an attempt to lessen the searing pain. _What do you think you're doing!?_ he shouted mentally.

_Finishing the Niwa off, like I should have done long ago. _Krad's voice echoed in Satoshi's mind. The Hikari braced himself against the wall, and his eyes were shut tight both in pain and concentration.

_Stop it!_ Satoshi demanded. _I won't let you hurt him!_

_Won't you? _Krad taunted. Satoshi dropped to his knees and gritted his teeth as he felt the flesh on his back tear in preparation for the white wings. _I don't think you're in a position to be making demands, Satoshi-sama._

_NO! _In a sudden burst of strength brought on by both rage and panic, Satoshi barely managed to win the battle of wills. "You'll never kill him with _my _body," Satoshi spat, words laced with barely contained anger. He hardly allowed himself a moment of rest to catch his breath before he shakily forced himself back to his feet. He had more important matters to deal with than his own turmoil.

"Niwa!" the commander's voice echoed off the walls as he leapt to his feet and waded into the almost knee-deep water. He hauled Daisuke out of the water and placed him as gently as possible on the cold floor, then fished around in his coat pocket for the tiny flashlight he kept there during Dark's heists. He clicked it on and set it on the ground next to them. It wasn't much, but it was better than the weak light that the moon provided. The first thing Satoshi did was briefly check the other boy over for any injuries, and he could feel the blood drain from his face when his hand left Daisuke's hair and came back red. He hurriedly tore a strip of cloth from his own shirt and wrapped it around the smaller boy's head in an attempt to slow the bleeding. As he lowered his head to the other's chest, his fears were confirmed—Niwa wasn't breathing. A quick check to the pulse revealed a weakened heartbeat, though at this point Satoshi was grateful for anything.

Acting as fast as possible while still maintaining control over the procedure, he tilted Daisuke's head back to ensure that the air would reach his lungs. Then, he pinched the redhead's nose shut, and leaned down further to cover the unmoving lips with his own. He breathed in once, then twice, before sitting up and firmly pushing on the area just below the ribcage. Then, he went back and repeated the procedure. On the third time, he checked to see if the other was breathing on his own. Then, because his heart was pounding so loudly in his ears, he checked by placing his hand near Niwa's mouth rather than listening. Nothing yet.

"Come on…," Satoshi muttered, though whether the remark was directed toward himself or Niwa was debatable. He leaned back down and forced air into Niwa's lungs again, then pushed it out. The cycle repeated itself. Air, push, check. Air, push, check again.

Yet again, nothing.

Satoshi's hands were starting to tremble. "B-breathe, damn it!" he hissed in frustration, and raw fear seeped into his eyes. Why wasn't it working!?

Inwardly, an aura of smugness radiated off of Krad. Satoshi pounded a fist against the stone floor, not even wincing as the rough surface scraped deeply into his knuckles. The pain helped him to focus, and he went back to the task at hand. Taking in a shaky breath, he lowered his mouth onto Niwa's once more. This time, he was met with a slight resistance as Niwa's body jolted. Although he hadn't remembered closing them, Satoshi's eyes snapped open and he jerked back a bit. It all seemed to happen too fast to be reality. Niwa sat up with a start, wobbled a bit, then lurched forward and coughed up a fair amount of what Satoshi hoped was water. In this poor lighting, with the addition of Satoshi's panic-impaired senses, it was hard to tell. At this point though, the pale teen took the opportunity to sit back for a moment and try to regain control over his own labored breathing as he stared at Niwa's back.

Daisuke leaned forward on his hands, balancing himself. The worst of the coughing spell had passed, it seemed. It vaguely registered that his head hurt, but he couldn't be bothered to figure out why just yet. After a few quick, deep breaths, he leaned his weight back onto his knees alone and the world spun. He let out a noise that was halfway between a sigh and a groan. "Whoa…" A bit delirious, he jumped when arms encircled his waist and a weight was suddenly present near his right shoulder. A flash of blue from the corner of his eye made him relax slightly. Well, he relaxed until he felt how badly his friend was shaking.

"You idiot," Satoshi whispered harshly, "I seriously thought you were going to…to…" The voice lost its edge as Satoshi trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke inquired cautiously. He shifted with the intent to turn around, but Satoshi's hands suddenly fisted in the fabric of his shirt. Startled, Daisuke looked down at them. He let out a small gasp. "Hiwatari-kun, you're hurt!" Gently, he took one of Satoshi's hands into his own, examining it carefully. The redheaded teen was distracted by what he initially thought was a strangled-sounding cough, but as the action repeated itself, Daisuke realized that it was a twisted sort of laughter. A bit scared and very concerned for his friend, Daisuke attempted to get through to the other again. "Hiwata—" Daisuke's voice froze in his throat when he felt something drip onto the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

Although he was more relieved than anyone could imagine, Satoshi was starting to panic again for just a little bit. He couldn't stop the nearly hysterical laughter that was escaping him, and his eyes stung. Not being in control of his body's actions terrified him, and with good reason.

"Hi-Hiwatari-kun, are you okay?" Daisuke managed to ask at last, though he was a bit afraid of what the answer might be.

Through all the emotion Satoshi was feeling right now, he gripped Niwa tighter, and a sudden thought struck him. _Is this what true happiness feels like?_

The laugher died down eventually, though the feeling in his eyes stayed. "Yes, I…," Satoshi managed in an odd voice that was a bit higher than normal, "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. But I'm okay." At the silence that stretched between them for a moment too long, Satoshi added, "I promise."

Daisuke tightened his own grip on Satoshi's hand. "Okay." This time, the silence was a comfortable one. "I'm really sorry for worrying you, Hiwatari-kun. Thank you for saving me."

"Mm," Satoshi mumbled and leaned his forehead back down on Daisuke's shoulder. He suddenly felt tired. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Daisuke protested. After realizing that the argument wasn't going to continue, Daisuke slowly attempted to rise to his feet. Satoshi felt this and stood up with him, each bracing the other to avoid falling. They separated once they were all the way up, but only in contact; not in distance. They looked at each other for a moment, and it was at this point that Satoshi wished he still had his glasses. His emotions were still showing very openly on his face, and he longed for something to hide behind. He had never _ever_ lost control of himself quite so badly in front of Niwa (or anyone for that matter), and needless to say he felt rather mortified.

"Let's go home," Daisuke said suddenly, and took Satoshi's uninjured hand. Taken aback, Satoshi allowed himself to be pulled along.

"Let's?" Satoshi echoed. His brain wasn't quite keeping up.

"Yep," Daisuke answered and looked back at his friend with a warm smile. "You're going to take us back to your apartment so I can fix those injuries of yours," he explained, seemingly oblivious to the makeshift bandage that was around his own head. Or maybe he just didn't mention it.

At this point, Satoshi decided it wasn't worth it to protest. As they continued walking, his gaze traveled down to their intertwined hands. Satoshi felt a bit of Krad's ice melt from around his heart, and he smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note:** One of the things that I've noticed is that Daisuke has the ability to shatter the usual calmness that radiates from Satoshi (especially in the manga), and it leaves me stunned each time it happens. Moments like this usually make me think, "Whoa, Satoshi, calm _down_!" And yet, it's one of the things that draws my heart even deeper into their bond, because Satoshi treasures Daisuke so much.

Also, there is one thing that I've established with this chapter: Krad. I don't write the tame, nice(ish) version of Krad that I see in a lot of fanworks. He's not Dark's clone, he's his _opposite_, and I intend to continue to write him as such. Cold, manipulative, ruthless, and full of hate. I personally dislike Krad, but it actually makes me feel sorry for the guy when his characterization is so far off. (I also don't mean to offend anyone with this, but it's just one of my pet peeves.)


	11. Memory

**Author's Note:** Of the chapters I've written so far, I'd have to say that this is one of my favorites. No warnings for this one, just sit back and enjoy.

* * *

_11. Memory_

Warmth.

The first thing that registered was that he was comfortably warm. This was extremely welcome, as he usually became chilled easily. That had happened ever since Krad had first manifested. It was unlike him to feel so relaxed, as the only times that he would be _was_ when he was temporarily spared from Krad's torment after a battle with Dark.

A second feeling barely registered, since it felt so familiar. Something nostalgic…a sensation that he hadn't felt in many years. There were soothing, gentle hands running through his hair. The fingers of one swirled around a lock of hair near his right temple. The other moved from near the top of his head down to his forehead, where the fingertips brushed his face slightly, before the cycle was repeated.

_"Mother?"_

Satoshi's eyes fluttered open after a few moments. The hands stilled, and something shifted underneath him, before the hands dislodged themselves from his hair. Satoshi's vision was blurred due to his low blood pressure—all he could distinguish was a swirl of light blue and red. His sense of smell returned much faster than his sight, and he became aware of the scent of grass mixed in with a minute trace of summer flowers. Based on this, the endless blue above him must be the sky. When had he gone outside? And what was the red from? Red wasn't…

Frustrated and drowsy, Satoshi tilted his head back in hopes of getting a better view. A face came into his field of vision, staring down at him. It was still a bit blurry, but at least now Satoshi could identify the red thing as hair. His subconscious recognized the person before his brain and eyes did. "Ni…wa…?"

The redhead spoke in a soft voice, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Satoshi blinked a few times, not immediately able to comprehend what was said. Then, after a moment, his eyes went wide with the sudden realization of the situation. He immediately sat upright, causing the person behind him to let out a startled cry and fall backwards. He then brought a hand up to his face and rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to get his vision to cooperate. While doing this, he organized the memories of what had occurred.

It was the last day of school before summer break, and the students had been given a longer lunch period than usual. Niwa had approached him, wondering if they could eat lunch together. Satoshi had agreed without really thinking about it. Eating lunch with Niwa was a common occurrence, after all. However, when he had attempted to head up to the roof, Daisuke shook his head and led him the other way. They had ended up near a few trees on the edge of one of the fields in back of the school that was sometimes used for sports. Apparently, Daisuke thought it was a good idea to enjoy the nice weather. Satoshi had held back the comment that the roof was technically also outside, as he had been too tired to care at the moment. Krad had been surprisingly docile the past few days, which made Satoshi feel apprehensive as opposed to relieved. As a result, he hadn't allowed himself a decent amount of sleep for several days. Besides, if he could spend some time with Niwa, no matter how dangerous that may be, he didn't want to resist.

The two of them had finished eating quickly, then conversed for a while until they fell into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying one another's company. Satoshi remembered feeling incredibly relaxed, and then…then…

Still with his back turned to Niwa, Satoshi tried and failed to control the heat flowing to his face. He really hadn't meant to fall asleep, much less _on Niwa's lap_.

"Hey…," Daisuke began, crawling over on the grass so that he was in front of Satoshi. He apparently lost his original train of thought when their eyes locked. Daisuke was staring straight at him, a curious expression on his face. Mortified, Satoshi looked to the side and focused his gaze somewhere on the ground behind Niwa. From the corner of his eye, he could see a blush emerging on the redhead's face. Daisuke fumbled with his words for a moment. "I-it's nothing to be embarrassed about, Hiwatari-kun. You mentioned earlier that you were tired, so…," he trailed off. It was then that Daisuke realized what he had been holding on to. "Here, your glasses."

Without a word, Satoshi took them from Niwa and stood up, preparing to walk away.

"Um…you muttered something in your sleep just before you woke up. Were you dreaming?"

Satoshi paused, then looked up at the sky. A few strands of hair had fallen into his eyes, but the color was so similar that it was almost indistinguishable. He returned his gaze to the earth as he walked slowly back to the school, and answered simply, "No."

* * *

**Author's Note: **The manga is vaguely inconsistent about when Hikari Rio died. Well, this is true at least in the Tokyopop translations, which are...well, let's just say I have a bit of a preference for scanlations instead. At one point, it was stated that she died fifteen years ago, and yet Satoshi seems to still have some memories of her, which would make the time frame impossible. (Unless Satoshi is a few years older than Daisuke, which is also highly unlikely, if not impossible.) At this point, unless it's explicitly stated otherwise, I will assume that she died when Satoshi was a few years old. (Maybe about 4 or 5?)

*headdesk* Anyway, enough with inconsistencies. I hope this chapter was enjoyable. ^_^


	12. Insanity

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the little hiatus, I was a bit stuck on this chapter. Stupid writer's block. Also, I appologise for posting something like this on Christmas. ^^; I _did_ post something nice on my dA though.

* * *

_12. Insanity_

Eating lunch with Niwa had become a common occurrence for Satoshi, though given the circumstances, whether or not that was wise was a matter of opinion.

Surprisingly though, other than the occasional malicious comment from Krad, they could usually enjoy their meal on the roof without being interrupted.

Usually.

With a dull flush on his cheeks and a fond expression on his face, Daisuke had been telling Satoshi about a conversation he had earlier with Riku.

"…and then she asked me if her hair looked okay, because Harada-san usually styles it for her but today she had to do something before school," he explained.

Satoshi nodded absent-mindedly, a bit displeased at having to listen to sentence after sentence about the older twin. It wasn't that he didn't like making small talk with Niwa—it made him feel more normal, after all. It wasn't as if Harada Riku was a bad person either. She seemed rather kind, actually. But…did Niwa really _need_ to talk about her so much?

At that instant, it seemed as if some higher power had sensed Satoshi's plight. With a bit of amusement, Satoshi watched as the other's face reddened further to the point where it probably wasn't healthy.

"Hey!" Daisuke protested aloud. "It's not like that at all, I—," Daisuke suddenly panicked and clapped a hand over his mouth, then remembered exactly _who_ he had been talking to. He sighed both in relief and in exasperation. "Sorry, Hiwatari-kun. _He_ shows me some very…," he turned a bit redder as he searched for the right wording, "_inappropriate_ images sometimes." Satoshi raised an eyebrow and Daisuke's eyes suddenly became unfocused for a moment, as they always did when Dark said something. "It's not funny!" he exclaimed after a moment and crossed his arms with a huff.

"Should I leave you two alone for a minute?" Satoshi inquired, the tiniest hint of a smile visible on his face.

Daisuke shot his friend a withering glance, miffed that _Satoshi_, of all people, was teasing him. He sighed again, realizing that Satoshi didn't have any ill intentions. "No, this happens a lot. I've seen a few of his thoughts by accident when we're not talking too. The first time was on purpose just because I was curious, but I wasn't able to look Harada-san or Riku-san in the face for a few days after that."

Satoshi decided that he didn't want to know. "How unfortunate," he responded neutrally.

"What about you, Hiwatari-kun?" the redhead questioned.

Beneath thin glass frames, blue eyes blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Does Krad ever bother you like that? What does he think about?"

As the blood involuntarily drained from his face, Satoshi tried and failed to keep his body from tensing. Aside from the usual threats of violence toward Niwa and Dark, or any random thing relating to the Hikari family, he had glimpsed Krad's inner thoughts once.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It had been a very late night after one of Dark's heists. The thief, as usual, had escaped. Having to fight control for his body did not help Satoshi any. Krad had been taunting Satoshi by reading the boy's thoughts, and that had made Satoshi furious. He was sick of Krad having free reign over his mind, and in turn keeping many secrets from Satoshi that were likely to never be unveiled. He had pounded on the barriers between Krad's mind and his own, desperate to get at least a glimpse of the demonic angel's innermost thoughts.

When the barriers had let up unexpectedly, Satoshi had been unprepared for what he saw. Vivid images bombarded him from all directions. There was so much _red_, and most of it was not from Niwa's hair. The majority of the images were similar, involving torture or other cruel things centered around either Dark or other members of the Niwa family, usually Daisuke. If those weren't enough to make Satoshi's stomach churn, a few of the images had featured Krad and himself. The details of _any_ of those visions were not something he wanted to remember.

With a strangled-sounding gasp, Satoshi had internally backed away as far as he could from Krad's thoughts. That had been a sleepless night.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

As Satoshi stared down at what remained of his lunch, he abruptly decided that he wasn't hungry anymore.

"Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke asked carefully, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Satoshi's body tensed even further than before and he had to resist the urge to knock the hand away, opting instead to shrug it off as gently and as patiently as possible. "Niwa," he addressed the other. His voice was as cold as ice—a tone that he had used less and less often these days. It seemed it hadn't lost its edge, however, as the redhead visibly winced. "You don't want to see inside of Krad's mind. Ever."

Daisuke realized far too late how wrong he had been to voice his honest curiosity about the matter. Satoshi quickly stood up and he panicked. "Hiwatari-kun, wait!"

This time, Satoshi really did push away the hand that reached for him. "Don't touch me," he demanded. He turned around and briskly walked toward the roof's door.

"I'm sorry…," Daisuke said quietly. Satoshi pretended not to hear and slammed the door behind him. Once he was inside he leaned against the cold metal of the door for a moment and hung his head. He knew that he had hurt Daisuke just now, and he could already feel the pangs of regret from it. However, his emotions were in too much turmoil to just take it back right now.

When class resumed, the unfeeling mask that Satoshi wore was even more firmly set in place than usual. Although the two of them tried to not look at each other for the rest of the day, they had made eye contact by accident once. Although to anyone else in the class Satoshi looked normal, the pain in Daisuke's eyes was reflected equally; no façade could hide that.

* * *

**Author's Note:** *cringe* Well, this chapter was a bunch of sunshine and rainbows, wasn't it? Though, I suppose not all of these are going to be light-hearted. It would get a bit redundant that way.


	13. Misfortune

**Author's Note****:** First of all, I want to thank the people who have read, reviewed, favorited, etc... this story within the past few months. It means a lot.

Second of all, I'm kinda facepalming at my own hiatus here. I really didn't intend to go this long without posting anything. Hopefully I can continue with regular-ish updates from this point on.

Notes about this chapter: Takes place in the anime-verse, simply for the reason that Daisuke didn't have a cold during the Toki no Byoushin arc in the manga version.

Warnings: Mentions of past violence.

* * *

_13. Misfortune_

Satoshi had to admit that once the chaos with the Toki no Byoushin was over and done with, he felt worn out. Walking home while it was snowing—beautiful as it was—with a good portion of the back of his shirt torn up was not the most pleasant of experiences nor was it very wise. To top it off, the adrenaline from the past few days that had been brought about from the frantic need to help Niwa had finally worn off. Those things, coupled with the fact that he hadn't taken care of himself over the course of those days, was weighing down heavily on his body.

And it seemed that he had caught Niwa's cold.

Later, Satoshi would realize that Krad's abhorrence of weakness made him have a tendency to stay as far away from sickness as possible. Now, though, Satoshi was too exhausted both physically and mentally to even notice. His body ached all over, and he probably had a fever too. He felt like crap and probably didn't look much better, and that irritated him to say the least.

Therefore, it was unsurprising that as soon as Satoshi saw his bed, he felt unimaginable relief before he collapsed on top of the sheets and faded into unconsciousness almost instantly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Whoever says that rest always helps should be shot. This was the sentiment that Satoshi awoke with when the first thing he felt was a pounding headache. He also seemed to be both freezing and hot at the same time and—was that his doorbell? Perhaps hallucinations should be added to the list of symptoms.

Satoshi was not one to be expressive under normal circumstances. In fact, he usually attempted to be as far detached from emotions as possible. However, he had to allow himself normal reactions _some_ of the time. This was why, as he heard the doorbell a second time, he buried his face into his pillow and groaned. After a moment of wishing he could just disappear into his bed, he realized that he would have to get up eventually. At a sluggish pace, he was somehow able to clumsily maneuver his body so that he was sitting up on the edge of his bed, although he swayed slightly. Satoshi didn't get sick often, and had forgotten how disorienting the combination of illness and low blood pressure could be.

He was barely out of bed when the doorbell rang again. "Coming," he called weakly, though whether it was audible to anyone outside of the apartment was a mystery. The door was eventually in reach, and he frowned upon realizing that it wasn't locked. Ill or not, it was a careless move. He turned the knob and opened the door slightly, and suddenly he was face-to-face with a surprised redhead, who had a hand extended to ring the doorbell again. If he wasn't sure that it would have made his headache worse, Satoshi would have hit himself for not having predicted this. There were many things he could say in the current situation, and with his patience running low, few of them were very nice. "Shouldn't you be at school?" he asked tiredly.

This earned an odd look from Daisuke. "School?" he echoed, "Hiwatari-kun, school's been out for a few hours already."

That got Satoshi to feel a bit more awake. Truth be told, he hadn't honestly expected Daisuke to be well enough to go to school today _anyway, _but the thought that it was already over was ridiculous. With a start, he looked to the side and squinted at the clock on the nearby table, and was rendered momentarily speechless when the numbers told him that it was very late in the afternoon. Surely he couldn't have slept _that_ long…?

Seemingly oblivious to the inner turmoil, Daisuke held up a bunch of papers. "Here, the teacher told me to give these to you."

Wordlessly, Satoshi took the papers. He appeared to want to say something, but couldn't. Daisuke had a similar expression, though for different reasons.

In the end, it was Daisuke who broke the silence first. "Hiwatari-kun," he began hesitantly, "you don't look too well. How do you feel?"

Although Satoshi backed away from the hand that neared his forehead, he couldn't stop it. He didn't want to be touched right now, least of all by the person who could affect him the most. Daisuke let out a gasp when the contact was made and retracted his hand momentarily, then put it back with a frown. In spite of himself, Satoshi closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, engrossed with how cold the hand felt against his skin.

And suddenly he was being pushed back toward his bedroom, with his guest fussing about how high his fever was. The sheets were pulled back hastily. "Okay, lie down," Daisuke instructed, pushing down lightly on Satoshi's shoulders for emphasis. The commander felt one of his eyes twitch. Oblivious, Daisuke continued to fret over his friend. "How long have you been feeling this way?" he questioned, not bothering to wait for an answer before he tugged the blankets back up. "I know you're probably too hot right now, but you can't let yourself get chilled."

Satoshi gave the other a withering glance. "Niwa," he warned. Unexplainably, Daisuke's presence seemed very irritating at the moment.

"I'm going to get a wet cloth to put on your forehead," the redhead continued, then paused and dropped his gaze to the floor as if pondering something, "and maybe some medicine too. What are your other symptoms?"

"Niwa," Satoshi repeated sternly, "go away."

Daisuke looked up with a start, mouth slightly agape at the blunt demand. Without warning, he grinned widely. "Nope."

Even the thought of his headache getting worse couldn't stop Satoshi's hand from colliding with his forehead with an audible smack. As Satoshi's hand slid from his face to fall into his lap, he opened his eyes and glared at his unwanted guest.

Daisuke wasn't fazed. "Symptoms?"

With a tired sigh, Satoshi fell back onto his pillow and flung an arm over his face so that his eyes were obscured. "High temperature, cold flashes, headache—actually, aches in general, burning eyes, and dizziness," he listed monotonously in a single breath, which was quite the feat given his condition.

Wordlessly, Daisuke nodded and left the room before there was an opportunity to protest. As he shut his eyes tiredly, Satoshi vaguely wondered if he had done something to receive such bad karma today. An unknown amount of time later (as Satoshi was too disoriented to properly judge), Daisuke returned with a folded washcloth, some pills that presumably were for the headache, and a glass of water.

The pills rattled noisily when the bottle was opened and shaken, and Satoshi tried not to flinch at the sound. Daisuke handed two of the pills and the water to Satoshi. "Drink this slowly, okay? It's not good to drink it all at once, but you can't let yourself get dehydrated," the little thief instructed. Deciding it wasn't worth it to argue, Satoshi obeyed silently. He swallowed the pills in one gulp, then paused for a moment and took another drink. Hopefully that would appease the persistent redhead.

At this point, Daisuke took the time to really look at the commander. Sure, he was sick, but he hadn't really _looked _very closely. There was a deep flush coloring Hiwatari-kun's cheeks, but the rest of his skin was a ghostly white in comparison. Sick or not, he'd never seen Hiwatari-kun look like this. Actually, he'd never seen him look flushed at all. After a moment, Daisuke took the glass and set it on the bedside table. He motioned for Satoshi to lie back down. Again, he was met with wordless obedience. As gently as possible, he lowered the wet cloth onto his friend's forehead. Satoshi tensed and made a strange noise upon contact, but relaxed shortly after. As he did this, his arm got close enough to his friend's face to feel the heat from the other's breath.

"Try to not fall asleep yet, okay? I'll be right back."

Satoshi didn't respond, too focused on the pleasant feeling of the cold cloth. He pushed down lightly where it covered his eyes, and the burning sensation was momentarily alleviated. Eventually though, the temperature between his body and the cloth evened out and was significantly less effective. Lazily, Satoshi flipped the cloth over so that the side that was still cold was now on his face. This side lasted a shorter amount of time. The cycle continued like this for a few minutes, and the arrangement of the cloth was switched more frequently as the remaining cool spots faded all too fast. Finally, he gave up, and just unfolded the thing over his face.

The sound of carefully shuffling feet near the doorway was the first indication that he once again didn't have the room to himself anymore. "I'm back," Daisuke announced cheerfully, though his voice was quiet so as not to be too bothersome. Satoshi heard the sound of a bowl being set down on the bedside table, and he fought back the urge to sigh. He really wasn't hungry at the moment. It took too much energy to eat. Daisuke spoke again, "You should really buy things that are good to have when you're sick. At least get some hot tea or something. Though I guess soup will be fine."

Satoshi sat up without a word, not bothering to do anything about the cloth when it fell off his face. He made no move to accept the food, but instead stared pointedly at Niwa.

Daisuke was a bit confused by the stare, but moved to retrieve the bowl instead.

"Why are you doing this?" Satoshi asked suddenly, causing the redhead to freeze.

Eyes wide with confusion, Daisuke responded, "What do you mean 'why'? We're friends, aren't we?"

That triggered something in the young commander. It was like an anger switch.

Or a defense mechanism.

"That has nothing to do with it!" Satoshi yelled, and somehow managed to rise to his feet out of the bed without falling over. He gripped Niwa's shoulders tightly. "Why are you always so—" his voice caught in his throat when he saw the other try to conceal a wince. Satoshi couldn't hide the look of horror that appeared on his face for a split second. Memories of Krad going out of control against Dark plagued his mind. Memories of Elliot's sword cutting into Dark's body. Niwa's body.

Slowly, Satoshi backed up and sat back down on the bed. He was no longer making eye contact. A stifling silence settled between the two. The only distinguishable noise in the room was the ticking of an old wall clock that rested on the desktop across the room. "Hiwatari-kun…," Daisuke started eventually, but couldn't find the right words to say after that.

With a deep breath, Satoshi was finally able to find his voice. "You should go home."

"Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke tried again, but as with the last attempt, he was unable to continue.

One of Satoshi's hands fisted in the bed sheets. "Please, Niwa," he insisted. He sounded tired.

After a while, Daisuke responded hesitantly, "Okay, I'll leave." Satoshi said nothing, though he let go of the sheet. "Compromise?" he asked carefully. There was no reaction from the commander, so he continued, "Eat a little first." He reached across the bed and retrieved the washcloth. Though Daisuke didn't notice, his hand brushed Satoshi's and that elicited a small gasp from the ill teen. "And let me run this under cold water again," Daisuke finished.

"That's fine," Satoshi conceded.

A small smile returned to the redhead's face. He retrieved the bowl of soup from the bedside table and cautiously handed it to his friend. "Be careful, it's still hot."

Once he was sure Satoshi was going to eat, Daisuke left the room. He took a bit longer than expected to return, and the reason for that was revealed when he came back with a small bucket of water in addition to the cloth. "This way you can keep it cold," he explained. He set the bucket down on the floor next to the bed. After an awkward moment of standing in one place, shuffling from one foot to the other, Daisuke spoke up again, "Well, I guess I'll get going then." A nod was given in response to this, and Daisuke padded out of the room. "See you later."

Satoshi watched him leave, and continued to stare at the empty doorway until he heard the front door to the apartment click shut. He set the half-empty bowl of soup back down on the table. "Thank you," he said softly.

When Daisuke was back outside, he looked up at the building. The expression he wore was a bit down, for various reasons, all of them obvious. _'Is it really okay for you to always be alone?' _Idly, he wondered if he would ever be able to break past the walls that Hiwatari-kun surrounded himself with.

He had no idea that the commander's reactions were because that was already happening.


	14. Smile

**Author's Note: Ugh. Here I am, telling everyone that the updates are going to be more regular, and then I got stuck on this chapter. I fail. You can all hit me if you want. *sulks* In truth, I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I didn't know what else to do with it.**

* * *

_14. Smile_

Expressions have the potential to be interpreted in many different ways, depending on the person making them. One of the most versatile of these is nothing more than a smile. Although a smile generally portrays happiness and other positive emotions, it isn't always that simple. Some smile when they want to hide something. Others smile when they're about to snap. In addition, everyone's smile is different—something that Daisuke had grown to notice.

Daisuke himself smiles the most when he is around people that he cares about. It isn't even a conscious action. They make him happy, so it's natural for him to express that. Besides, he's been told before that his smile is contagious, so why not spread the joy?

His mother's smile is heartwarming. It's the smile that he remembers the most from his childhood, so his memories of it are fond. Though she also has a different smile that seems to make the atmosphere seem more threatening. At least he isn't the only member of his family who fears that look.

On the other hand, his father's smile is a bit hard to read. It spoke of wisdom that was the result of countless hours of research, as well as countless more hours that had yet to be done. In a strange way, it was disarming. It made Daisuke feel comforted, regardless of what insanity was going on in his life at the time.

His grandfather had similar aspects for his smile, though it was slightly more light-hearted. That may have been due to Dark's influence all those years ago, though it was anyone's guess.

Since Saehara had been Daisuke's friend for years, he had long since gotten used to the mischievous grin that the reporter would wear when he was up to something questionable. Such 'somethings' didn't usually go over well when Daisuke was involved, though it wasn't as if Daisuke could find it in himself to refuse his friend's requests. Most of the time. Really, he was getting better.

Daisuke had been infatuated with Harada-san's smile for the longest time. It had made his heart pound, and it had seemed so perfect to him. He had adored it so much that he would frequently go out of his way just to have a chance at seeing it directed at him. Needless to say, it had hurt when she began smiling her brightest only around Dark. After that, her smile seemed less and less special until it had little effect on him anymore, if anything at all.

It was the exact opposite with Riku-san. He had barely given her much thought before, since he had been so captivated by her sister. Now though, her smile meant more to him than Harada-san's ever had. It was beautiful—almost too much to bear—and he had dealt with a lot of close calls because of that smile. Randomly running away from his girlfriend wasn't _that_ suspicious, was it? Besides, being able to see her smile at him and _only_ him was something he valued. If she happened to learn about his secret, he was terrified that he would never be able to see her smile directed at him again.

Maybe someday, he wouldn't have to worry about that. But for now, all that mattered was that he could make her happy. For that, he would do anything.

Dark, like most people, smiled when he was happy about something. However, he also had a horrible tendency to get a big grin on his face when he was plotting some kind of prank. Either that, or he was making dirty jokes again. Daisuke didn't really appreciate those kinds of smiles, though he supposed Dark wouldn't be Dark without them.

He didn't really want to think about Krad smiling. That usually meant that someone was going to be in a lot of pain. By 'someone,' Daisuke meant either himself or Dark.

There were two instances where he absolutely _had_ to paint an individual smiling someday. Naturally, one of them was Riku-san.

The other was Hiwatari-kun.

Long before they had tentatively delved into anything even resembling a friendship, Daisuke honestly couldn't remember if he had _ever_ seen Hiwatari-kun smile. He was so far away from everyone else back then, and he hardly ever showed any kind of reaction. That was the main reason that Daisuke had experienced such difficulty when approaching him. It wasn't as if he had thought Hiwatari-kun was a bad person, but such a detached atmosphere was difficult to read.

Daisuke was pleasantly surprised the first time he had seen Hiwatari-kun smile at him. Actually, now that he though about it, Daisuke hadn't seen him smile when he was around anyone else. He had to admit, the expression looked somewhat foreign on such a usually serious face. After seeing it a few times though, he got past that little detail. Hiwatari-kun did have a nice smile, after all. It was one of the expressions that reached his eyes. Although usually cold and observant, those eyes became warmer and softer in the rare event that a smile would appear. If other people were to see it, they might even call it endearing. In any case, Hiwatari-kun's smile always made him feel strangely giddy. Sometimes, he would feel a bit flushed, and his heart would beat faster. That was a familiar feeling; it was almost the same feeling when he changed into Dark. But that couldn't be possible. He was just glad that he could make Hiwatari-kun happy.

Right?


	15. Silence

**Author's Note****:** S-sorry again for the hiatus. It's not that I haven't had ideas, I just hadn't been motivated to work on anything. *goes to hide from angry readers*

* * *

_15. Silence_

Satoshi valued the peace and quiet that was the norm in his apartment. It was a haven of sorts—detached from the busy streets of Azumano, without the stress and occasional chaos of the police station, and away from the loud halls of school. Really, with all the _noise_ that was present in everyday life, it's a wonder how some people manage to even focus on thinking for a short period of time. Although, it's true that some of them simply don't, and this is commonly observed when in school. Whether he sometimes wished for a more normal life or not, Satoshi couldn't deny that the environment at Azumano Middle School made him long for the more mature atmosphere that he had experienced while in college. Though college students could create chaos as well, they were less focused on trivial matters that Satoshi couldn't care less about.

Since he had been so concerned with running out of _time_, Satoshi had always pushed and pushed and _pushed_ himself beyond any normal person's limits. That's what had made him speed through his education in less than half the time that the majority of people spent on it. It was what had driven him to fill up his memories and experiences with all of the things that a normal person would experience in a lifetime. However, in his quest for normalcy, that very goal had evaded him. He had been so focused on straining his limits and studying things that few people his age would even begin to understand; too focused on working to make everything perfect for when fate decided to stroll up behind him and knock him off balance. True, his life had been filled with _doing_ so many things, but never truly _experiencing_ them for what they were worth.

That's where attending middle school again came in. While it was true that his ultimate goal was to be able to observe Niwa without drawing too much suspicion, there was also a secondary benefit. It would give Satoshi a second chance to look at life the way an ordinary person his age would. This was where he was torn. On one hand, the majority of the other students were far too immature to even be decent company, not to mention the seemingly endless numbers of girls who would attempt to ask him out or shyly slip love letters into his desk. It also tended to get a bit boring from time to time when he had already studied about all of the subjects that everyone else was learning. Still, school gave Satoshi something to do besides shut himself up in his apartment all day amidst piles of research about Dark. It also reduced the chances that he would have to put up with a surprise visit from his stepfather. Satoshi could count on one hand the times that the man had attended any event related to school this year, and that was a good thing. Regardless though, if Satoshi had the choice, he would always prefer to have this precious time to himself and bask in the nothingness that was silence.

At least, that's how it used to be.

Silence was still nice to have after a stressful day, but Satoshi found it increasingly dull as time went on. What used to be hours spent comfortably alone without anything to do turned into no more than a single hour that he could stand before he started to fidget with the need to occupy his time with something.

Today was one such day. He had come home from school as usual, and put away his things for the next week, since there was no school tomorrow. He had lounged around on the couch for a while, since he wasn't hungry enough to bother with supper yet. For a while, he had the tv on. However, it eventually proved to be no help for his restlessness.

With a sigh, Satoshi got up and turned off the random news program that he had been watching, then flopped back down on the couch. There wasn't really any point in it, as he wasn't tired enough even for a short nap. Maybe if he waited long enough though, he'd fall asleep from boredom.

It was only after he had just managed to space out that his cell phone started vibrating on the table. Satoshi sent an annoyed glance in the direction of the small piece of technology before snatching it up. He peered at the display, and instantly couldn't believe what he was seeing. Usually, the only ones who called him had something to do with his work, and this wasn't a number that very many people knew to begin with, yet somehow…

"Hello? Hiwatari Satoshi speaking," he said into the device, and was answered by a familiar voice. "Yes, I do, but…," he trailed off as the other person spoke again with a slightly nervous tone of voice. Still a bit off-guard, the spectacled teen began slowly, "Niwa, how did you…?" there was an awkward pause on both ends, before Satoshi thought better of it and decided that some questions didn't always need an immediate answer. "Never mind, it's nothing."

Satoshi then rose up from the couch, and cradled the phone against his ear with his shoulder as he crossed the room. Once he reached his schoolbag, he knelt down and dug through it a bit, before he pulled out one of the textbooks and a spare piece of paper. Rather than going back to the couch, he just decided to sit against the wall with the book resting on his lap. "Page 801, right?" he questioned, and received a positive response. He flipped to the page in question and glanced over the contents. "Alright then. The first equation should be set up like this," Satoshi began, before giving more detailed instructions. He waited for Niwa to finish each step, and made noises of agreement when the other was correct in his calculations. Technically, this was just as boring as before—having to explain things step-by-step that he had learned _twice_ now already, and having to say that _x_ equaled 24 and not 28. Yet for some reason, as Satoshi spoke into the phone, only half paying attention to the math textbook before him, a smile was on his face.


	16. Questioning

_16. Questioning_

There were times when Satoshi questioned his feelings for Niwa. He had already gone through copious amounts of denial about it, and even now he had to wonder (or perhaps, hope) that it was something else. That he wasn't in love with Niwa.

The fact that they were both male never really occurred Satoshi as being a problem. As someone who previously hadn't been attracted to anyone, Satoshi wasn't bothered by such trivial things, especially when there were so many other things that were much more significant.

The fact that they were born into opposing sides of a family feud, however, was a different story. Satoshi had been conditioned all his life to hate anyone in the Niwa family. They were merely an obstacle—something to be defeated and destroyed. Not even taking his own curse into consideration, developing feelings for his enemy was about as far from his objective as he could get.

The first excuse that he had tried to make was obsession. Certainly, at one point he _was_ obsessed with Niwa, simply because of Dark. However, this had probably been his downfall. He had watched too closely; delved too deep into his observations. Satoshi had made the mistake of getting attached to his supposed enemy, and realizing that the other's warm personality was genuine. Though perhaps he had known that from the start, and just hadn't wanted to admit it. If Niwa had just fit into his role like the previous generations, this problem wouldn't exist in the first place. He would have hated Satoshi and Satoshi would have hated him and that would have been how it ended. Early on, he had rejected the possibility of even being friends with someone from that family over and over.

Yet, the open-hearted redhead had wormed his way into Satoshi's even realizing it, he had taught Satoshi something far more important than roles and responsibility—he had reawakened Satoshi's ability to feel _alive_ instead of just existing, and that his life didn't have to follow a pre-determined path. Satoshi had recently admitted to Niwa himself that they were friends. Saying that had felt so natural that it felt out of place. Despite this, he still didn't want to love Niwa. Compassion or not, their relationship was complicated enough already.

The girl known as Harada Risa was where he had been stuck. For a while, he considered the possibility that he could feel something deeper for her. He had tried to see her in the same way that he saw Niwa.

It hadn't worked.

While Satoshi supposed she was attractive (she had to be, since Niwa had been infatuated with her for so long), he just wasn't _attracted_ to her. Certainly, he had grown to care about others to some extent, and he did feel guilty that she had gotten caught up in the affairs of the feuding families again and again. No one deserved that. However, as time went on, what he _did_ feel towards her became clear. After having to deal with so many girls fawning over him without even knowing the first thing about him, it was different to have a girl his own age speak to him and not be completely infatuated with him. Because of that, he didn't have to have his guard up quite so high around her; something that was just as much a relief as it was a rarity.

Though she could be a bit immature and even shallow at times, Satoshi had to admit that her feelings for Dark weren't all just a childish infatuation anymore. Since Dark would eventually disappear someday, whatever feelings were between the thief and Harada would end up in vain. Unrequited feelings for another was something that Satoshi could identify with. It was for these reasons that Satoshi felt that she was one of the few people in his lifetime that could be considered a friend. Besides, she had unintentionally figured out his own feelings long before he had come to terms with them, even though she hadn't realized that she had been talking about the 'same' person Satoshi had been concerned with.

________

____

"_We both might be suffering because we love him."_

"_Maybe you're right."_

* * *

******Author's Note********:** Hmm...another Satoshi-centric chapter. I really should write Daisuke and everyone else more, but this one just kind of wrote itself. ^^; It seems a bit jumbled to me, as I couldn't express exactly what I was trying to convey here. If I tried to do that, it would have ended up jumping back and forth from one thing to another and then to something completely different. So, rather than that, I simplified it as much as possible. Also, I hope that my portrayal of Risa in this chapter didn't seem too strange or forced. I'll admit that I don't really like her, but I also don't want to let any personal bias I might have interfere with characterization.


	17. Blood

**Author's note: **I was going through some of my old stuff earlier today, and I stumbled across some old DNAngel fanfics from middle school that weren't ever posted because they were left unfinished. Now I'm glad they were never posted—the characterizations were so terribly OOC that I'm horrified at what I wrote. Daisuke was like a super happy kid on a sugar high most of the time, and too...stereotypical 'uke' type. Ew. Satoshi was too open, and Krad was rarely even mentioned as a problem. Dark was just strange. Oh, and the Harada twins were the spawn of EVIL. I seriously want to go back in time and punch myself for even _thinking_ that this was good characterization. Granted, that's back when I had watched more of the anime than I had read the manga, but still. Ugh.

On a more positive note, I posted something strange on deviantArt recently. (Hiwatari-kun...I'm so sorry. XD)

* * *

_17. Blood_

The school gradually emptied at the end of the day as usual, but on this day Daisuke wasn't among the ones filing out the doors to return home. He didn't have art club activities today, nor had he been assigned cleaning duty. Currently he was sitting at a small table in the corner of the library, in the middle of a joint research project with Hiwatari-kun. A couple of the other pairs were present as well, but most of them wouldn't even dream of working on it so soon. Daisuke had been the one to suggest coming here today, and Satoshi had no objections. Usually Daisuke wouldn't have done something like this on the first day, but he wanted to make sure that he worked especially hard on this so that he wasn't a bother to Satoshi. For all he knew, his mother could suddenly surprise him with 'work' one night. He also had a feeling that the college graduate could have finished the project perfectly fine on his own, so the sooner they finished it the better. Though he might have been worried over nothing, as Satoshi had been the one to request that they work together in the first place.

He glanced across the table at Hiwatari-kun. The commander had a couple books open in front of him on the table, and his eyes occasionally darted from one to the other. Gravity had gotten the better of his glasses, which had slipped down his face considerably lower than usual. After a moment this seemed to bother the blue-haired teen, and he habitually pushed them back into place before turning the page of one of the books. Unexpectedly, he winced.

"What's wrong?" Daisuke questioned.

Satoshi stared down at his finger with a grimace. "Paper cut," he supplied.

Without thinking, Daisuke rose from his seat and announced that he was going to get a band-aid for it. Satoshi looked like he wanted to say that it wasn't necessary, but he stayed quiet.

_Daisuke, _Dark chided as the redhead walked down the hall. _What's up with you? Isn't that overreacting a little? The commander's not going to die from a little paper cut or anything._

Daisuke made a face. _I know that, but…_

Inside his mind, Daisuke saw a perplexed expression on Dark's face. _But what?_

The redhead entered the nurse's office and shut the door quietly behind him. He picked up a band-aid from a jar on the desk and stared at it absent-mindedly. _I guess it is a little stupid. _Daisuke admitted. _But I want to be able to at least do __**something**__ for Hiwatari-kun. _He paused, and his free hand fidgeted with a loose thread on his shirt. _Especially after what happened when we were looking for Argentine. I said that I'd find a way to help Hiwatari-kun, but I still…can't…_

Dark had grown quiet, and made no move to fill that silence after Daisuke had been unable to finish. Even now, he was always surprised by how precious the commander was to his tamer. Of course, he had gotten the point by now that Daisuke was a kind person, perhaps to a fault. But Hika—_Hiwatari,_ of all people…

The kaitou had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice that they were moving again until Daisuke was nearly back to the library. With a grunt of irritation, Dark promptly dismissed his thoughts. Brooding over it wasn't going to change anything, and it wasn't any fun either. He then proceeded to sigh in an exaggerated manner. _It really is a shame. This little situation would have been a bit romantic if it was with Riku instead._

Daisuke froze in place about a foot from the doorway. _Dark! _Daisuke exclaimed with an indignant flush. When the thief started laughing, Daisuke sighed in frustration and opened the door a bit more forcefully than was necessary. As he neared the table in the corner of the room, Hiwatari-kun still hadn't noticed his approach. When he got close enough, he noticed that the spectacled teen was squeezing the fingertip that had the paper cut in between his thumb and index finger on his other hand. The blue-haired boy stared at it with a blank expression as a bead of red slowly formed from it.

Momentarily at a loss, Daisuke had no idea of how to react to this. Eventually, he stopped gaping and settled on a careful "Hiwatari-kun, what are you doing?"

Satoshi's expression didn't change, but his posture faltered a bit at being caught doing something strange. He didn't let go of the finger, but eased up on the pressure. "Paper cuts don't seem to hurt as much when they bleed," he explained.

Daisuke eyed the small drop of blood warily, though he was a bit intrigued. "Really?"

The commander shrugged. "It might have something to do with blood being a visual as to _why_ something hurts, rather than to just have a cut that stings for no reason." He released the injured finger at last. "Well?" Satoshi looked up at Daisuke expectantly.

The redhead blinked in confusion. "Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, and handed Satoshi the band-aid. "Sorry."

After taking it, Satoshi was silent for a moment. "It's very…colorful," he said at last.

"What?" Daisuke asked on impulse as his eyes fixated on what he had just given to his friend.

The band-aid was a bright shade of pink, with little red hearts on it.

After noticing this fact, Daisuke turned a similar color. It didn't help that Dark had started laughing again. "Ah, s-sorry! I'll go and get a different one!"

"No, this is fine," Satoshi dismissed as he tore the paper off the back. He sounded amused. "There," he said once it was stuck in place, and he held it up in front of Daisuke's face as if it was a prize. The smirk on his face was not helping.

_Is he making fun of me? _Daisuke wondered frantically, but Dark was laughing too hard to even pay attention anymore.

"Niwa," Satoshi said suddenly. He was still holding his hand up, but his expression had turned serious. "Thank you."

"Wha—? Oh, um, you're welcome," the redhead muttered sheepishly, then sat back down in front of the book he had been looking through earlier. He gestured to the books in front of his friend. "So, did you find anything interesting?"

Satoshi smiled a little. "Yes, I did."

With that, their conversation was back to its original topic, and the two discussed the project peacefully until they decided to end for the day. They parted, but not before a joke was made about being more careful with the books next time.


	18. Rainbow

**Author's Note****:** (blows the dust off of this fic and coughs) Well. Unannounced hiatus aside, I think this chapter went well. I'd originally planned something different, but I liked the way this panned out better. At this point, I want to thank the people who have stuck with this series of stories. Whether you review/fave or not, I still see people are reading from the hit counter and I'm grateful for that. Thank you. ^_^

* * *

_18. Rainbow_

With a content sigh, Daisuke picked up one of his colored pencils and proceeded to continue the drawing that he had been working on earlier. "It's so nice to start out a new sketchbook."

Satoshi looked up from his lunch. Occasionally, Daisuke had started to bring some of his art supplies up to the roof while they ate. "Do you have your old one with you?" he asked. He was wondering about how one of the drawings that the other had been working on last week had turned out.

Daisuke blinked. "Yeah, I have it here somewhere…" He proceeded to dig through his schoolbag, and eventually pulled out his previous sketchbook.

"That drawing from a few days ago, the one with the waterfall," Satoshi clarified, "did you finish it?"

Recognition sparked in Daisuke's eyes. "Ah, that one! Yeah, it's done." He flipped to the page in question; one of the last ones. "I kind of messed up on the trees though. They look weird," he said as he handed the sketchbook to Satoshi.

After flipping to the page in question, Satoshi's eyes carefully scanned every detail. The water was particularly well done—it seemed as if time had frozen while it cascaded over the rocks. He'd seen the potential of this sketch when it was in the earlier stages. The picture as a whole wasn't perfect, but Niwa's talent did not disappoint him. "This group of branches here," he said, pointing to one of the trees, "is a bit too spaced apart for this type of tree. Try to make the branches longer, but more numerous."

A look of realization spread across Daisuke's face. "Ah, you're right. Thanks, Hiwatari-kun."

Satoshi nodded and turned his attention back on the picture, and a small calm smile was on his face. "You did an excellent job on the water. It really is a beautiful scene." Satoshi idly wondered which one of the pink pencils that were sprawled next to the new sketchbook matched the color Daisuke's face turned as a mix of gratitude and embarrassment was stammered in response to the compliment.

After he had regained coherency, Daisuke said, "If you want, you can look through the rest of it. There are some really messy sketches in there though, so don't expect a masterpiece."

In response to this, Satoshi's eyebrows rose to the point where they were obscured by his hair. He knew how embarrassed Daisuke could get about showing his works to people, particularly the unfinished ones. "It's okay?" he asked, just to make sure. When he received a response in the affirmative, he allowed himself to settle against the wall behind him as he began to flip through the pages. There were quite a few landscapes, some portraits, and the occasional quick sketch with little notes on proportions gracing the margins. After seeing some of the rough images, it didn't take Satoshi long to notice a pattern. "They're all different colors?" he mused aloud.

Daisuke had gone back to drawing something in his new sketchbook, but made a noise in question at his friend's words. "Colors?" he asked, drawing a blank for a moment. Then he looked over to the page in question and understood, and made a noise of recognition. "I never used to do it," Daisuke admitted, "but now I almost always use a certain color when I'm sketching living things, usually people." He grabbed a bunch of colored pencils and sprawled them out in front of the two of them before he pointed to one of them. "Towa-chan is lavender," he explained, then pointed to a different one. "Riku-san is orange. Harada-san is pink. Dark is usually a blackish purple. Saehara is green." He continued to list off the colors for each person, and pointed to each one as he did so. Satoshi couldn't help but be a bit fascinated. Many artists had unique habits, but he had never heard of anything like this. "I don't draw myself that often," Daisuke admitted, "but when I need to do a self portrait it's in red. And of course, you're blue, Hiwatari-kun," he finished as he pointed to a pale blue pencil.

Satoshi was startled for a moment at the notion of being the subject of Niwa's sketches. He also wondered at the short length of that particular pencil. Then again, Niwa often drew scenery and the color suited the sky fairly well. There was no point in wishful thinking, Satoshi told himself.

Daisuke retrieved the pencil that Satoshi had been staring at, then flipped his new sketchbook back open. "It's not very conventional, I guess, but it helps me focus on getting the feelings of a specific person to look right. It's good for remembering the moments that are too fast to just stop and draw."

While Daisuke continued to sketch, Satoshi tried to quell the curiosity. It wasn't like him to pry for these types of things, especially when doing so had the potential to be distracting to the other person. Eventually though, the urge won, and he tried to peer over at whatever the new picture was without being noticed. His eyes were greeted with a partially finished sketch of himself. There was a peaceful smile on the drawing's face, and upon further inspection he was holding the very sketchbook that he had been looking through earlier. The real Satoshi couldn't hide a look of surprise. Had he actually looked like that?

"Sorry," Daisuke said suddenly. It seemed Satoshi had been caught, though Daisuke was acting like the opposite had occurred. "I don't see you smile like that very often, so when that happened I kind of got hit by the urge to draw it." A moment of silence passed before Daisuke finished, hesitantly. "You looked really happy, Hiwatari-kun." Satoshi hummed with a calm mix of recognition and intrigue and looked away, though he also seemed a bit dazed. Was he embarrassed? Either way, Daisuke made a mental note to draw that expression too. The two of them settled into silence once again for a while, with Satoshi eating and Daisuke trying to find a balance between food and drawing. Eventually, the latter became so engrossed in his tasks that he didn't notice when Satoshi reached for the pile of pencils on the ground.

Satoshi picked up a purple colored pencil, and stared at it thoughtfully. "Hey, Niwa," he began, and continued when he knew the other was paying attention. "When you sketch more than one person for a picture, do the colors ever mix?"


	19. Gray

**Author's Note****: **So, I went back and was reading some of my previous chapters, only to find that this site had eaten my line breaks. It's annoying, since I dislike using the horizontal ruler other than for separating author's notes and the story. I'm debating on whether it's worth it to export them to see if the variation I tried in this chapter will last. But enough about my formatting issues, and a little about this chapter. A scenario of this sort has been stuck in my head for a while, but I hadn't really gotten the motivation to write it. It's a depressing one, assuming if certain things were to progress to a "bad end" for the manga canon.

Warnings: angst, character death.

* * *

_19. Gray_

When Daisuke looked back on it, even though everything had been hectic, there had also been an odd balance between all of them. He thought that somehow, through all the setbacks, nothing would really change. Dark would fight with Krad sometimes but otherwise get out okay. They would tiptoe around the Haradas and the rest of the general public for the sake of keeping secret identities a secret. Through all this, Hiwatari-kun would always be by his side.

That hadn't been the case.

It hadn't been obvious at first, but Hiwatari-kun's health had gradually gotten worse. He grew more and more tired over time and had little energy to do anything extra. When Dark or Daisuke had the misfortune to encounter Krad, the transformations wreaked much more havoc on the increasingly frail body than they used to. Eventually, that body became to weak for Krad to risk taking over. Hiwatari-kun had stopped attending school at this point, and when he had revealed this news when Daisuke came over to visit, he had admitted in a strained voice that—at the very least—he could have some peace in his own body. That he didn't have to worry about hurting Daisuke anymore. When Daisuke heard those words, he clung to Hiwatari-kun as if he was the only other person in the world and sobbed shamelessly. Overwhelmed by the intensity of Daisuke's emotions, Hiwatari-kun had also cried, silently.

That night also marked his confession. A simple "I love you" that was not explained further before or after; only that he didn't expect Daisuke to return his feelings. Daisuke had of course been shocked to hear this, but then he called Hiwatari-kun an idiot for worrying about him so much and said that he wouldn't abandon him regardless of what Hiwatari-kun's feelings were—whether that was hate or love or anything in between.

And he never did. Daisuke had visited Hiwatari-kun every day and talked about things such as what had happened in school. He visited sometimes with others and sometimes alone, until there were no more days. Hiwatari-kun had been moved to the local hospital near the end, and was rarely conscious. He passed in his sleep.

Daisuke's father had answered the phone call that delivered the bad news. Daisuke's reaction was unlike anything the Niwa family had ever witnessed from him before. For a few long minutes, he had simply stood in place with a blank expression that saw nothing. Then, without warning, he had stormed off into the basement. It had taken a while for them to locate him, given how large the Niwa family's basement was. They eventually found him with Argentine in one of the larger rooms. Argentine, sympathetic but unsure of what to do, was standing next to Daisuke, who was on his knees and grieving. The two of them were surrounded by a mess of broken Hikari artworks.

By the time the funeral was held, Daisuke wasn't faring much better. His state of mind wavered between being a wreck of emotion and feeling nothing at all. After that, the latter gradually won out. He spent almost every moment of his spare time burying himself in creating art (mostly painting) to try to concentrate on something, _anything_ else than what had happened. His family and friends worried about him, though they could do little to change the situation. They just hoped for the best—that one day, things would get better for Daisuke.

Eventually, they did. Months later, Daisuke began to wander out of his isolation and indulged in the things that he had enjoyed before. He still painted more often than he had, but his condition seemed to be improving.

x - X - x - X - x - X - x

After school and sports practice was over, Riku opened the door to the school's art room. Daisuke was there, cleaning up his brushes in the sink. He looked up when she entered and smiled at her. They exchanged a few words in casual conversation. Then, they ended up next to the canvas that was drying on one of the easels.

Riku's eyes lit up at the scenery. "Wow, a snow-scape!"

Daisuke laughed a little at her enthusiasm. "Nostalgic, right?" She nodded and continued to admire the painting. After a moment, though, her brows drew together. "Riku-san? Does something look bad?" He peered at the painting, trying to spot any mistakes in the details.

"Ah, no, of course not!" she answered immediately, waving her hands in a "no" gesture for emphasis. "It's really beautiful." A pause, perhaps of contemplation, or perhaps one of hesitation. "It really is. But...why isn't the snow blue?"

Though Daisuke's eyes stopped combing over the painting, he didn't look away from it. "What?"

A bit awkwardly, Riku elaborated. "You felt so strongly about the colors the last time you painted something like this, so I guess I was just surprised."

Daisuke's gaze was fixated on the light gray shadows of the pure white snow. "Blue, huh..." For the fraction of a moment that his expression had turned serious, it was lost when he turned to face his girlfriend with a smile. "I guess I can't see it that way anymore."

Even though the smile itself looked no different from the one that he had given Riku earlier, the honesty of the expression didn't quite make it to his eyes. Riku gave no indication of whether she noticed or not; only said simply, "I see."


End file.
